Justice is no longer served to all impartially, but abused and obstructed at will. As for Bushman, in 1989 he was distracted by a vehicle in his rear view mirror resulting in him "losing his bearing in relation to the intersection" driving through the intersection and off the road at nearly highway speed, only coming to a stop due to an embankment. IMO such an act cannot be explained away innocently. 79-80). Normally a coroner would handle the medical / forensic side of the recovery. I could see him drinking Coors beer, but not Sam Adams or Corona. Ferak says that Gina's father was left confused and grief stricken, but ultimately decided not to persue a wrongful death lawsuit. The crime lab, however, was not called immediately. A retired Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office police officer has sued Netflix and the makers of the documentary series "Making a Murderer" for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional. Kocourek, Petersen and Bushman were a powerful and corrupt trio in the community. 3. We were obviously nave in thinking that way.. "Some of the emails, in my opinion, have been borderline threatening. After all was said and done, Bushman didn't show up once after November 7, and never wrote a report about what he did at the scene on Kuss road (nor did Lenk or Colborn IIRC). No investigation was done into the matter because the County didn't want to know if Petersen was responsible for a vehicular manslaughter. But we are dealing with the state of Wisconsin, a place I lived and worked at two different times in my life, and for that reason, I would say it's 50-50. But Manitowoc residents say, not so fast. Officers Bushman and Hermann improperly collected crime scene evidence from the scene of Ricky's hit and run death. Manitowoc, WI 34 87 162 5/1/2021 Lived in Manitowoc many years and fully support the local county sheriff and all their deputies. Again, once you know the events of November 7 - November 11, this theory presents itself fully formed. Of course Hermanns declaration about the striking vehicle was based on an examination of evidence that had no real chain of custody. All evidence points towards the incompetence of your department I hope and pray your department and local police and that judge are found out, and YOU rot in jail. Its flowing in pretty good yet," he said. ", 6. Way before the Hermann brothers were first and third in command; before Teresa, Ricky, or Penny, the Hermann family still had an enormous amount of influence within the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department (MCSD). 1,070 were here. While Manitowoc County was supposed to have minimal involvement in the case, several deputies, including Andrew Colborn and James Lenk, helped find crucial evidence. People like you are a plague on our country. A careful and by the book collection of evidence from the burn pit should have been a top priority for all involved in running this investigation. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next, won't we? Its county seat is Manitowoc. Bushman then let Hermann drive off with the improperly collected parts in his own personal vehicle (Pg. As it turns out Schetter grew up with the Hermann boys in Manitowoc County, even serving as a groomsman at the younger Hermann brothers wedding (Pg. For example, Coroner Kakatsch quit her position as County Coroner after Steven and Brendan were convicted, telling the filmmakers through watery eyes although she loved her job she didnt feel safe working in the position any longer. Although only MCSDs history is examined in the post, the same lesson applies to other departments. I couldn't believe Bushman wrote what he wrote in his report of his confrontation with the victim's father - Bushman MCSD Report, Pg. Indefensible 67m Now, a Netflix series has put it on the map. Cookie Notice In PART ONE -. There is no question thats what this film did, he said. People that are passing judgment on just the facts in that film, I think theyre way off base. After arriving at the hit and run scene Officer Bushman quickly called the older Hermann brother, an off-duty Lieutenant, and asked that he come to the scene. Ricky's dad in particular was said to be frustrated and angry about this possibility. From Zellner's investigative instincts to Avery's current standing in the court system to a detailed analysis of the accusations against former prosecutor Ken Kratz, Ferak covers a variety of new angles in the book and expands on the key points that make the case so polarizing. All of this created a BROKEN CHAIN OF CUSTODY. The series seems to have convinced much of its audience that two Manitowoc County men currently sitting in prison for the murder of a young photographer may, in fact, be innocent and the local. Unfortunately threats and intimidation are often effective. That was a defense strategy and it carried through into this film, said Hermann, who was undersheriff at the time of the Avery investigation. Hacktivism group plans to reveal police corruption. He called it one-sided and said it is profiting off the Halbach family's loss. Just as with Petersen, it was only a few months after the incident when Bushman's promotions starting rolling in. Ring said the group will try to find opportunities to highlight the communitys positive attributes, such as its scenic coastline, various recreation opportunities and friendly residents. Terrible and corruption run rampant!!! Amazing! Organizations that had nothing to do with the cases have been feeling the backlash, too. 170) a bold but carefully worded statement. I'll finish by reviewing how critical the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department was during the discovery, planting, re-discovery and recovery of the bones, and why it's reasonable to believe both the MCSD and Wisconsin DOJ were working together to cover up the truth of Teresa's death via obstruction of justice and the destruction of a crime scene. Get this shit. If the Avery case was in the state of Nebraska, the state of Iowa and the state of Illinois, I would have to say there would be a 98 percent chance Zellner would be successful in winning a new trial or getting Steven Avery's conviction overturned, primarily based on the Brady violation allegations she has raised. Bushmans accident was brought before the County's Accident Review Board, which quickly concluded no action would be taken, and that Sgt. Once he is released from prison, he probably needs to move far away from Wisconsin for his own mental health and well-being. If true, the theory would highlight an alleged historical culture of corruption in Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office, a disturbing claim which has been underlined by the two Making a Murderer series aired on Netflix to global acclaim. An examination of the Hermann family's influence on the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department throughout the years, specifically in regards to Kocourek, Petersen and Bushman - all of whom played roles in the 1985 Penny B and 1999 Ricky H cases; and two of whom played critical roles during the 2005 Teresa H case. Kocourek's legacy of corruption continued thriving thanks to Petersen becoming Sheriff. Regardless of guilt or innocence, what your office did to manipulate that young mans testimony in the Avery case was repulsive and I would suspect unconstitutional. In 1981 Officer Petersen was involved in a traffic accident that may have caused a citizen death, possibly a preventable death Ferak argues. In addition to their ever increasing involvement in the Sheriffs Department, the Hermann family owned the long operating Cleveland Auto Salvage (CAS) in southern Manitowoc County, one of a select few salvage yards that competed with the Avery Salvage Yard (ASY). "Shocked seeing the Netflix series 'Making a Murderer.' 153). Only two days after the death County officials held a press conference during which it was announced Petersen was absolved of any wrong doing or negligence regarding the loss of life. Years later, Kocourek, Bushman and Petersen would all play critical roles in the 1985 wrongful arrest and conviction of Steven Avery, the 1999 Ricky H vehicular homicide case, and the 2005 Teresa Halbach case. ", 8. Ever God will deal with everyone who had a hand in this mess, you can be sure of that. "Remind me not to move to your county! Ferak correctly observed that, like Kocourek, "Bushman owed a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Hermann family.. She was hearing a lot of skepticism around town. Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey are innocent. Was Bobby conducting those disturbing searches on the computer recovered from his room, or was it someone else? Here's a snapshot of the worldwideoutrage directed at Hermann: 1. The repairs to vehicle set the department back nearly $4 000 in 1989 money. Part one will focus on Sheriff Kocourek and Sheriff Petersen. In 2016 especially and also in 2017, I made countless trips to the Manitowoc County Courthouse and to the Avery Salvage Yard, as well as to the Manitowoc County government building, where I reviewed hundreds and hundreds of employee personnel records for Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department officials, past and present. I'm pretty sure at some point, Steven Avery's conviction will be overturned. Nice job! I'll try to keep this as brief as possible and mainly focus on Bushman and Hermann's mishandling of crime scene evidence, which IMO was done not out of incompetence, but as an attempt by two corrupt officers to cover-up the truth of Ricky's death. Bushman was totally unaware he was approaching an intersection, it seems, and was looking in his rear view mirror long enough with such focus that he drove right through the intersection and off the road at highway speed! They were just sitting out in the open since October 31! ", 18. She was there at one point. Asked why this would be, Bolick responded, "A lot of them have lived it so watching a documentary is not going to change the way they view it.". When this shit happens over decades what you're left with is not exactly the crme de la crop. Its unfortunate the word Manitowoc is causing some such grief, but again, these are people feeling that way from watching a television show, he said. There is NO WAY I will move there, your state prosecutor is a snake, your judges are corrupt and the ease in which you framed those two innocent men, well your cover-up has just reaffirmed my mistrust in the judicial system and police. Among other things, Petersen told reporters Steven "could be a con man" (false and inflammatory) that he burned a cat alive (false and inflammatory) and that if he wasn't convicted of Teresa's murder he would kill AGAIN (speculative and inflammatory). I watched Making a Murderer, and I thought it was masterfully done. Calumet County (Wiegert) and Manitowoc County executives obstruct the investigation into the alleged scene of Teresa's mutilation by unlawfully preventing Coroner Kakatsch from accessing the scene as was required of her by law. Rot in hell," "You guys are corrupt," and "Im never setting foot in Wisconsin are just a few comments the sheriff's department received since the release. "It's kind of sad that (the city) is getting that kind of publicity right now," saidKendra Cordova, 27, whoworks at an olive oil shop downtown. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Manitowoc County, Wisconsin QuickFacts Manitowoc County, Wisconsin Table (a) Includes persons reporting only one race (c) Economic Census - Puerto Rico data are not comparable to U.S. Economic Census data (b) Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories You better hope you have a good PR team handy. Ferak's Kuss road theory matches up with what we on TTM have been saying for years - Manitowoc County found the remains at the burial site, planted the bones in Steven's burn pit, manufactured their re-discovery a day later (and ensured a quick but unprofessional recovery of the evidence) and a day after that they began obstructing the investigation into the scene of their planting, desperate to keep the coroner away from the scene. Shannon Bolick, 29, a legal assistant at a law firm just down the street from the courthouse, had seen the first three episodes when approached by a reporter. After darkness fell tower lights were set up to ensure they collected all the remains, which were then transported and planted in Steven's burn pit (by Bushman, Lenk or Colborn). MANITOWOC, Wis. (WCCO) -- Just a month ago, few knew of a Wisconsin city called Manitowoc. Honestly though, someone tell me, in what universe is that ^ level of destruction necessary when processing a crime scene that wasn't even properly photographed yet? Talking with residents throughout the city in recent days,it seemed like few had watched the entire series. Former Manitowoc County Sheriff Kenneth Petersen, who arrested Steven Avery, the subject of the documentary series, "Making a Murderer," 31 years ago for rape in 1985, admits he heard about a phone call in 1995 that some say could possibly have cleared Avery of the rape charge. 78). So Bushman's decision was to conduct no follow-up on damaged car parts found at the scene of a hit and run homicide? He really is very lucky he didnt hit another vehicle or a pedestrian. The DOJ was not unfamiliar with Manitowoc's reputation, and more importantly, their history with Steven Avery. I just can't be sure if it happens at the state of Wisconsin appeals level, the state Supreme Court level or before a federal court. Its a shame theyre making money off it at the expense of the Halbach family. Ferak argues Petersen may have caused the death of a young woman, citizen Gina Hxxxxx. Let's shovel those bones into some boxes and garbage bags and carry on lads.". What a joke of a department. 166). The city of Manitowoc Police Department, which has no connection to the sheriffs department, also has been fieldingcalls and comments on its social media accounts from around the world. Such levels of coordination between departments being devoted to boldly shirking well established law and procedure is truly unsettling and reveals Steven never stood a chance. "A burial site discovered and cleared by Manitowoc County the day before bones were found in Steven's burn pit by Manitowoc County? That will be determined in federal court, I hope Hopefully you run a more honest and transparent ship than did the prior sheriff. Hermann collected the broken vehicle parts from the perpetrators vehicle, but failed to properly photograph, tag or log the evidence. I used to think of cranes when I heard the name Manitowoc, not anymore . In Part One I reviewed serious squad car accidents of officers Petersen and Bushman that were both covered up or ignored by MCSD. BUT that's jumping ahead a little bit too much. Still, sitting with a friend at another local cafe, he joked with his friend about not getting pulled over in Manitowoc County. It seems Kocourek did everything he could to sweep this under the rug, and quickly: It was determined an inquest into the young womans death was not necessary. Keep up the good work! And before we knew it our entire review section was tarnished and it had nothing to do with the actual historical society or what we do or our mission. In their latest vendetta against alleged injustice, supposed members of the hacktivist group Anonymous have pledged to expose corruption in the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department. What if Ricky's mom took photos? Apparently those boundaries are blurred in this case, Meyer said. Steve Curtis Thompson II was convicted in Moore County, North Carolina, of voter registration fraud after voting twice in the 2012 general election. Next I'll briefly review all three (yes, three) criminal investigation of Manitowoc County Sheriff's department conducted by the Wisconsin DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation (one in 2003, one in 2004 & and the last in 2009). Daniel Hartwig, Sheriff Department Director Daniel Hartwig Sheriff Phone: 920-683-4200 Contact Us Location Information Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office 1025 South 9th Street Manitowoc , WI 54220 Sheriff at the time of Steven's 1985 wrongful arrest and conviction. 154) the older Hermann brother announced to the press in the morning that the striking vehicle was determined to be an older Chevy or Van. I will also draw many connections between the Manitowoc County, Calumet County, and the DOJ in the interest of highlighting just how tangled this web is. Barbier said comments havent slowed down despite the departments efforts to redirect them. "I am sure that after you are all exposed, you will not feel any regret for putting an innocent man in prison for the majority of his life; I am sure the only regret you will feel is that of being caught. "[Making a Murderer] touched on some of my investigation and expert experiments but not in as much detail as the book. 79) only 15 minutes from the Hermann family's Auto Salvage Business (yes, the same Hermann family whose son would eventually take over for Petersen as Sheriff). The Wrecking Crew,by investigative journalist John Ferak, gives Avery enthusiasts and newcomers an even closer look at the inner-workings and post-conviction strategy of Zellner's team. What will your department come out and say then? Manitowoc County is now officially on the map for having the most corrupt (law enforcement officers) in the nation, congrats. The 10-part Netflix series has turned an uncomfortable spotlight on Manitowoc, its sheriffs department and its legal system. It wasn't until 18 years of wrongfully served jail time that he was released. After days of nothing being found, Manitowoc County (Bushman) found the remains at the Kuss road burial site and quickly moved the evidence away from the burial site so the crime lab could be called and "clear" the scene, officially reporting nothing was found. In order to ensure this already shaky frame job didn't crumble, the DOJ showed up with two skid steers (yes, two) and literally demolished what was apparently a critical crime scene, one that hadn't yet been properly processed. Just to set the stage a bit - The Kuss road incident has long been a famous unresolved mystery of this case, and for good reason. Examining the Hotchstetler case is important to understanding Ferak's theory about Bushman's conduct during the 2005 investigation into Teresa's disappearance, specifically regarding his time at the Kuss road cul-de-sac where a suspected burial site was discovered by Bushman's search team. 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